Hugh Sims KC
‘Hugh has an excellent intellect and grasps things very quickly. He is now experienced enough to get excellent work, is increasingly before the appellate courts, and has the ear of the court.'
Guildhall Chambers is ‘a real powerhouse of the Western Circuit’ for commercial litigation work, with a wide range of barristers at varying levels of seniority as well as a strong client base that includes major financial institutions and large corporations. Hugh Sims KC leads the team; he regularly handles High Court litigation and has a strong appellate practice generally. In recent Court of Appeal case KVB Consultants Ltd v Jacob Hopkins McKenzie Ltd, Sims successfully represented the 26 claimant investors in claims arising from failed investments in collective investment schemes, with the decision affirming that principal firms cannot exclude liability for their appointed representatives. ’Fastidious, responsive, and powerful advocate’ Jay Jagasia also appeared for the claimants in that case. Lucy Walker is highly regarded for providing regulatory and strategic advice to financial institutions.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
'The clerks, notably Stephen Arnold, are extremely helpful and responsive.'
'Joe Stayte is extremely approachable, proactive and professional. His work ethic is evident and he is instrumental in the chamber's success. Finlay Duigan is always quick to respond and willing to work with solicitors and counsel to manage fees.'
'Clerks are good at promoting juniors coming through the ranks.'
'Guildhall's clerking is highly efficient.'
'Guildhall offers stellar counsel in the South West - a real powerhouse of the Western Circuit.'
'Guildhall is a leading barristers' chambers with many high-profile and highly-regarded barristers.'
Lawyers
Leading Silks
KCs at the very top of their field, with a long-established record of market-defining cases, and widespread endorsement from clients and peers. All silks appointed in the last two rounds are listed further below.
Leading Juniors
Leading juniors are those with significant experience of key cases, strong market recognition from both peers and clients, and are seen as future candidates for silk.
Jay Jagasia
‘Jay is an all round impressive barrister. His written work is very impressive and he gives pragmatic advice to instructing solicitors and lay clients. Jay is a very strong and compelling advocate.’
Stefan Ramel
‘Stefan is formidable in court especially when undertaking cross-examination. He has a keen eye for detail and is able to reach the nub of any issue quickly. He is good with the clients and quickly gives them confidence that he is the right man for the job.'
Lucy Walker
James Wibberley
‘James is extremely bright and hard-working, while also being great with clients - he is the full package. James is responsive and happy to roll his sleeves up to get to the heart of a dispute. He is very good on his feet, calm and persuasive.'
Richard Ascroft
‘Richard is very quick to grasp key legal and factual points and relates very well to clients in stressful situations. He has a clear written and oral communication style which goes down very well with judges. His work is always first rate and he has a very strong intellect.’
John Churchill
‘John’s written work and judgement is fantastic. He can see around corners. He is also a tenacious advocate in court who clients can depend on.’
James Hannant
‘Jamie is measured, confident and intelligent, and understands that preparation is key to success. He is capable on paper and an accomplished advocate. Jamie is also able to gain the confidence of clients who are in a crisis.'
Oliver Manley
'Oliver's advice manages to have sufficient breadth to demonstrate a clear understanding of the issues, whilst also being able to provide it in such a way that a lay client can easily understand the advice.'
